The Great Halloween Food Drive
by quintawrites
Summary: Abby and Quinta team up to spread Halloween cheer by hosting a food drive competing against the Coast Guard Criminal Investigation Service (CGCIS). Can Gibbs and Borin keep their teams focused (and glitter-free) during the collection? A joint writing venture by fiftyshadeswritergal and MaidenMoonshine.
1. The Great Halloween Food Drive

**Hi All,**

**Happy pre-Halloween! MaidenMoonshine and I have teamed up to bring you another story in the adventures of Abby and Quinta. These two are ready to celebrate Halloween with a collaborative food drive and potluck. Let's see where this idea takes them.**

**In this intro, Abby is written by MaidenMoonshine and Quinta is written by fiftyshadeswritergal. Going forward, we will take turns with each chapter.**

**We hope you enjoy this story as much as we do. Please read and review! : )**

PROLOGUE

Hi, Quinta!!!

It is the middle of October and we've both been so busy with so many other things that we haven't planned for Halloween yet! I was wondering what your plans were. I am wanting to do something fun. I probably won't antagonize Gibbs with glitter this holiday, just to give him (and poor, unfortunate me!) a break, but that still leaves me with plenty of other things that I can do (thankfully). I bet that you are gasping and asking if I am the same Abby that you know, willingly giving up glitter that way. Let me explain my strategy here. ;) You see, we still have Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a New Year's Day party. That's a lot of celebrating in a short period of time and I would hate to get Gibbs "spoon happy" before we even get into the full swing of things, or he might be even more in the "swing" if you get what I mean. ;D Besides, he can't blame me for wearing a sparkly costume if I want to, although I can think of about a million outfits that I would love to try, not all of them including glitter. Maybe it will be his lucky day. We'll have to see!

Back to plans. I was giving you the background but ... if Gibbs was here he'd be barking, "Get to the point, Abs," and shaking a Caf-Pow! in front of my face to bribe me to stay on track. I usually get back on track anyway, but I prefer to be bribed! Can you imagine the hundreds of Caf-Pow!s that he has bought for me? Even just over this last year? It would be one enormous pile! Oh, NO! I think that Caf-Pow! should come out with a reusuable cup, because can you imagine how much harm I am doing to the planet with all of those plastic cups?!!! YIKES! I'll send them a letter right now!

Actually, I won't do that right this second because I have to focus. (I haven't had a Caf-Pow! in about seven hours, so my brain is a little slower on the "getting back on point" part of processing. Sorry!) What I was thinking was that we could have an awesome costume party for Halloween. But what if, instead of just having a costume party, we do some volunteer work by having a costume party AND a food drive at the same time?! We could all gather in costumes, break into teams, and then go collect food for the soup kitchen where I volunteer on the evening of the second Tuesday and fourth Friday of every month (with work and my other volunteer commitments, I can't go help any more than that, but I love it!). Then, after we collect the food, we could all gather and sort what we have into boxes to deliver the next day. Then we could have a spooky-themed potluck. (I would force you, at pipette point if needed, to bring the Caf-Pow! slushies since you were so mean to not give me the recipe! Be honest - are you a horribly cruel person or did Gibbs make you promise to not give me the recipe since he worries I will "overdose" on it? I have my suspicions ...!!! :D Sigh... But what Gibbs doesn't know can't hurt him, right? Can't you PLEASE give me the recipe?!)

I am in need of Caf-Pow! refill to give me energy to start an online petition for them to make reusuable cups - or at least switch to a more environmentally friendly option - so I will say "good bye" for the moment. I can't wait to hear of any fun and crazy ideas that you might have!

LOTS (which could transition to TONS, if you would give me that recipe!) of hugs,

Your PIC (Partner in Crime), Abby!

Dear Abs,

I absolutely love, love, LOVE your idea of doing a donated food collection and having a costumed potluck to top it all off. It's such a fantastic idea that I couldn't contain myself from sharing it

I contacted Julie (you know, the one who works at CGCIS with Abigail Borin – aka Female Gibbs – and she loved the idea too!) I thought maybe we could make the food drive a bit more interesting by competing against the other CIS to see how much we can raise in food donations! And then whichever team wins, the other one has to provide for the potluck! What do you think? I imagine this will fuel a little friendly competition and result in an even bigger donation for the food bank! : )

As far as glitter, I'm with you on this one. There are far bigger and more glittery holidays in the horizon than to risk Gibbs's "attention" on Halloween. I'd rather save up my glitter-induced dreams and aspirations for the mother of all glittery holidays – Christmas!!! Besides, Gibbs couldn't truly spank us for disobeying such a *small* rule on Christmas, right? It's not like he is the Grinch!

By the way, speaking of Gibbs, he did in fact forbid me to give you the recipe for the Caf-Pow! slushies. Just after the holiday, he swung by my desk and let me know that although the slushies were a nice treat for Fourth of July, they were to stay a once-a-year treat. Then he did one of those famous Gibbs's stares and just as I thought I might pass out, he leans in and says, "I would hate to have another discussion with you like the one we had by the park bench. This one would be much longer." Then he straightens up and says, "Just behave and you have nothing to worry about." And then walks away. Well, I don't need to tell you that I listened carefully because although I thought our "discussion" at the park was well worth the glitter extravaganza we orchestrated, I wasn't willing to have that experience again anytime soon.

Please don't be mad at me that I can't give you the recipe! Besides, Caf-Pow! slushies are so last summer anyway. I'm working on a recipe for my very own Caf-Pow! hot apple cider as I write. Gibbs didn't say anything about not creating another drink! Haha!

Wow! I really got off track there. Anyway, I look forward to the food drive, the costumes AND the potluck! I have a feeling Borin and her team will be doing all the cooking! ; )

Love,

Q


	2. Chapter1

**Hi all!**

**Without further wait, here is Chapter One written by fiftyshadeswritergal. Please leave a review. It would make MaidenMoonshine and myself so happy! : )**

Chapter One

Abby smiled brightly as she surveyed the bullpen. Across the room, lining the wall with the windows closest to Ziva and Tony's desks, were boxes, and bags and numerous cans of non perishables for the food drive.

The teams – NCIS versus CGCIS – were down to the final three days of the food collection contest. It had been a long two weeks and both teams had gone into the challenge with vigor. Most of the "vigor" on Team NCIS came from Abby and Quinta, both of whom had charmed, pleaded, cajoled and outright threatened their coworkers to dig deep to benefit the charity drive.

The two had started their cheerleading with an enthusiastic word or two with coworkers in passing. Then there was a flier. Then a inter-office memo. Then the email that Abby designed that popped up anytime someone typed the word "case." The insistent email asking the reader to donate canned goods and other non perishables in a cheerful voice had taken McGee half a day to effectively squash systemwide – per Gibbs's orders.

After that, Gibbs did his best to reign in Abby and keep Quinta in her own department. But the girls had already gotten the message to everyone in the building and the food donation pile grew and grew.

Special Agent Abigail Borin, team leader for CGCIS (Coast Guard Criminal Investigation Service) had stopped by a few times to see how the competition was faring under the guise of discussing a case with Gibbs. In truth, both leaders were proud of their teams investing time and energy into such a worth cause.

Abby snapped out of her trance of admiring the mountain of donations when she heard the elevator ding and saw Gibbs emerge with what looked like a bag of groceries.

"Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs!" Abby practically squealed. "Is that for the food drive? That's a big bag! I *knew* you would bring something in. I was just telling Quinta that-"

"Abs!" Gibbs said, as he headed toward the food donation area. "Yes, it's for the food drive - provided that you and that Q girl promise to settle down. I know you have a big heart and want to win this competition, but you need to let people do their jobs."

"Gibbs! We are just excited! And we haven't prevented anyone from their work!"

"What about that email, Abs? And," Gibbs said as he placed his bag of food down and headed to his desk. "McNeil in evidence said you locked him down there until he promised to bring in more donations."

"Argh," Abby said, waiving her hand dismissively. "McNeil is a tattletale. Anyway, how could I lock him in evidence? That's where he works!"

Gibbs shook his head and worked to contain a smirk. Just then Ziva and Tony returned from interviewing a witness in the team's latest case.

The two sat at their desks and got on their computers. Ziva took a small, portable lamp out of her backpack and turned it on before shuffling through papers on her desk.

"What with the light, Ziva?" Tony asked, transferring some files into his computer so they could all look at them on the plasma.

"It is so I can see, Tony," she answered. "It's getting darker and darker in here with that food mountain growing and blocking the windows."

Ziva gestured to the donations which had indeed began to usurp the natural light in the room.

"It is darker in here," Tony agreed, looking around the room. "Just be glad this thing is over in three days. Abby would have us all wearing headlamps if it came down to that."

Abby walked over to Tony's desk and smiled.

"Ooh! Good idea, Tony," she responded. "But stop being dramatic. You still have the skylight!"

"And, it's for a good cause!" Abby added as she left go to back to her lab.

Tony and Ziva just shook their heads. They were glad Abby's current mission wasn't likely to get her in trouble with "Dad," but they would be happy when Halloween was over and they could see out the windows again.

Tony wondered absently who was going to have to move all that food downstairs and into the donation truck.

"Get back to work, DiNozzo," Gibbs barked, giving his second in command a head slap as he walked by. "This case isn't going to solve itself!"

Tony snapped out of his daydream and rubbed the back of his head while he refocused on his computer.

"Back to work, Boss!"

Just then an employee passed by and set a few boxes of cereal on the top of an already precarious pile. The pile trembled and the newest addition fell, causing a landslide of canned vegetables in its wake.

Gibbs sighed and picked up the phone. Only three more days, he thought. And at least they're not messing with glitter this time.


	3. Chapter2

**Hi all,**

**Here comes Chapter Two written by MaidenMoonshine. How is the food collection going? Let's find out! : )**

**And please review!**

Chapter Two

"But Gibbs!"

"No, Abby."

"Giiiiiiiibbb..."

"Abigail! I told you - 'no'. If you want that information, get it for yourself."

Abby turned away from Gibbs' desk with a frustrated huff and stalked away. Quinta popped up from behind a divider.

"What did he say?" she asked optimistically. Abby intensified her frown and Quinta's smile faded.

"Oh," she said softly.

Abby began waving her arms around dramatically. "Seriously, you would think...!"

"Abby!" Gibbs said sternly from his desk. "I can hear you complaining. Move it elsewhere or stop."

Abby rolled her eyes at the sympathetic Quinta and dragged her toward the elevator. Once the doors closed on them Abby began to vent in full force.

"Why can't he do this one tiny little thing for us, Quinta?! Why?!!"

Quinta shrugged. "Your boss is totally unreasonable, Abs. Oh, I know! You should threaten to quit if he doesn't do it!"

Abby's eyebrows disappeared about an inch under her bangs and her eyes grew huge.

"WHAT?!"

"You should threaten to quit He'd do anything to keep you."

"Uh, yeah! He'd give me a long lecture about trying to manipulate people - had that talk once and I don't want it again! - and then send me back to work. Or else he'd just say, 'Go ahead, Abs," and then I'd have to admit that I was not serious and then he would say that I was manipulating him and ... yeah, I already told you the end of that story."

Quinta crossed her arms impatiently. "But how are we supposed to get an update on the CGCIS's food drive? It's not fair that Borin keeps checking on our supply and we are left in the dark! Why can't Gibbs just pop over there for a few minutes to 'compare notes' like she does?!"

The door opened and Tony joined the girls. "Hey, Abs, Q! No, don't get off yet! I want to tell you what I did today."

"What?" Abby asked.

"I smell pizza," Quinta mused.

"Yeah, pulled off the old pizza delivery trick today. I just pretend that I'm delivering a pizza, but no one has ordered one. I step inside to insist on personally asking everyone if they ordered a pizza while getting a look around. I get my information, they get a free pizza. Good for them, great for me!"

"And fantastic for us!" Abby whispered gleefully as Tony stepped off the elevator and went to regale Ziva with his story.

Quinta widened her eyes. "Wait - you're thinking ...?"

"Let's go to my costume chest! I'm sure that we can get two pizza delivery outfits together!"

...

"Cross your fingers!" Abby demanded as they stood near the door.

"Doing that and praying that we won't get caught - especially not by Borin!" Quinta mumbled, peering around nervously. "Are you sure that you look enough like a delivery person? Are people really going to want to eat a pizza delivered by someone with skull polka dots all over her shirt?" She held up her hands defensively. "Not saying that I don't like it, but couldn't it be suggesting food poisoning...?."

"We're going in before we seem suspicious," Abby declared, grabbing Quinta's arm and balancing the pizza as they went inside. With a lot of creative talking about why two federal employees were delivering pizzas on the side - and why it took two of them to deliver one pizza - they were finally given visitor passes. The two spies hurried to Borin's work area.

"That was too easy," Quinta muttered suspiciously. "They really should have at least checked that we were delivering pizza and not a bomb."

"Tony will be so proud!" Abby said excitedly. "I can't wait to tell him!"

"Oh, Abby, look!" Quinta gasped, pointing to the pile of food. Abby's jaw dropped open as she looked at the massive piles of food - at least twice as high as what had been collected at NCIS.

"How ... how ...?!!!"

"Did someone say 'Abby'? Wait - Abby Scuito? Is that you?"

The two spies spun around guiltily. There was Special Agent Abigail Borin, watching them with confusion.

"Quinta Diaz? Abby? What are you both doing here? I can't imagine any reason for you to be ..."

"Happy pizza party!" Abby yelled nervously, throwing the pizza box at Borin while she turned tail and ran. "Come on, Quinta! Don't let her catch you!"

"What?"

"Oh, they must be here to spy on us, the sneaks!" McGee's doppleganger on Borin's team deduced. "No wonder they're running!"

"Then let's give them something to run about," said Tony's double. The two agents exchanged mischievous glances, then took off after the fleeing imposters.

Borin rolled her eyes and stalked to her desk.

"Gibbs," she hollered into her phone before he even had a chance to bark his greeting. "Did you know that you have two moles over here?"

"What?"

She chuckled. "Abby and Quinta were over here to spy on us under the guise of delivering pizza - oldest trick in the book."

She was surprised at the triumph in Gibbs' voice as he chuckled back, "They were complaining about you cheating and I told them if they wanted information about your supply then they had to get it themselves."

"Hold it! I was not cheating!"

"Sure were," Gibbs replied. "Just don't let your agents chase them past the parking lot. Don't want any accidents on the road because your team gave them a high speed chase."

"How did you know that my team chased them? Did they plant a spy cam?"

"Just know what McGee and DiNozzo would do - they wanted to chase you out last time you showed up to 'discuss' some facts about your latest cases."

"Well, thanks for the warning. I'll watch out for my six next time," Borin said sarcastically.

Gibbs just chuckled and hung up the phone.

...

Gibbs sat back in his chair. For once, he was kind of happy to have Abby reported to him. He was secretly pleased that Abby and Quinta had tricked the CGCIS - and they were the two NCIS employees who would be least suspected of spying!

He sighed as he looked at the framed picture on his desk of the team at Easter. He was covered in glitter but had ceased looking mad, Abby had stopped looking frightened for her life, and Quinta was just pure delighted. Oh, yes, those girls were trouble - but today their trouble making abilities were making him rather proud.

It was going to be awfully hard trying to look stern when they got back. Of course, he couldn't officially condone their behaviour. But there would be a Caf-Pow! for each of them when they returned to their work stations.


	4. Chapter3

**Happy Halloween!!!**

**Who will win the food collection contest? Will glitter be involved? Read on to see if there are tricks or only treats!**

**And please review! : )**

Chapter Three

Abby woke up to her phone announcing a new text message. She hurried and grabbed the phone, thinking it was a case considering it was 7 AM.

With a quick glance, Abby saw it was the furthest thing from a summons to work. It was a Happy Halloween message from Quinta, complete with a cute little GIF of two black kittens flying on a broomstick and the message, "Today is the day, Friend! I have a feeling we will come out victorious in the food drive competition. Happy Halloween!"

Abby smiles at the message and quickly wrote one back. She was so excited about Halloween and knew Quinta was as well. Winning the food drive would be the cherry on top of the spooky themed cupcake for the two friends.

Gibbs had scolded Abby and Quinta when they had returned from their undercover mission as pizza deliverers but everyone involved knew he wasn't truly mad at all. Gibbs has sent them back to their desks with a warning glare and word of caution, but the two mischief makers had also found Caf-Pow!s awaiting their return as well.

Abby slipped into her costume and giggled a little as she looked herself in the mirror. She knew Quinta would be doing the same at her apartment across town.

—NCIS—

Abby and Quinta met in the staff parking lot. Both of them seem to have lost a little of their holiday spirit in the commute.

A bedraggled Quinta stepped out of her car clumsily as she was dressed like a can of soup. An equally unbalanced Abby stepped out of her hearse dressed as a box of mashed potatoes.

The two looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Wow," Abby said, sidling you next to Quinta as best as possible. "I think dressing up as food donation items might have been better in theory than in practice."

"You think?" Quinta asked dryly, trying time straighten out one side of her soup can that had gotten dented in the drive to work. "I'm damaged! They'll have to clearance me out!"

Both girl burst out laughing again and made their way into work. They needed to make it until noon when the two teams would switch places and count each other's donated items.

Abby looked nervously at the NCIS pile – which was admittedly big but not as big as the one they saw at CGCIS – and scurried to her lab to get some work done.

Well, she scurried as fast as someone in a huge box with leg and arms holes could scurry – which didn't happen to be very fast at all.

—NCIS—

"How much?" Gibbs asked, not one to mince words.

"Well," said Borin, shifting from one foot to the other. "If we counted right, your team collected 3,478 items."

"And yours?"

"Don't know yet. Waiting to hear from Abby and that Q girl," Borin shrugged. "In the meantime, I'm getting a coffee."

"My treat," Gibbs offered, walking with Borin.

She just raised an eyebrow in question to the offer.

"In celebration," Gibbs answered. "That this collection and holiday is finally over."

Borin smirked. Yeah, she could definitely celebrate that.

—NCIS—

Abby and Quinta looked forlornly at the piles and piles of collected items they had to count at CGCIS. They both knew it would be more than the formidable number McGee had texted Abby that NCIS had collected.

"Well, we may as well get this over with," Abby said, moving items from one area to another. "Besides, it's all for a good cause. And I've always wanted to bring my great aunt Helena's jello salad to an event here anyway."

Abby was forcing a cheery tone but it was lost on Quinta, who was counting and moving items nearby.

"Abby!" Quinta exclaimed, jumping up from the floor. "Look! Look what I found!"

Abby turned and followed the line of sight from Quinta's hand to its target. It turned out many of the food items were stacked on tables and then covered. The food pile didn't reach the floor, as Abby and Quinta had thought.

"We May win after all," Abby said, helping Quinta clear her area. "We are not defeated yet!"

A few hours later the two girls were finished. Everything had been counted and recounted. CGCIS had raised 3,270 items.

NCIS had won.

And the local food bank had won, too. With more than 7,000 donated items, the haul would likely last the food bank well into the holiday season.

"So the big question is, who gets to tell them?" Quinta asked, a glint if mischief in her eye.

Abby whipped out her phone and speed dialed Gibbs's number.

"Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs! Guess what?"


	5. Chapter4

**Hi all!**

**It's time to join in the Halloween festivities with Abby and Quinta and the gang. This chapter is written by the ever talented MaidenMoonshine. Please read and review. : )**

Chapter Four

It was a joyous NCIS team plus Quinta that gloated over the baked goods and casserole dishes Borin's team brought to the potluck. Well, the rest merely enjoyed it - Quinta and Abby were in heaven! They had been celebrating for the last hour and were thoroughly stuffed. However…

"Eat a bit of EVERYTHING!" Abby insisted, loading up her third plate.

"Abby, I don't think that's such a great idea," Quinta cautioned, moving rather slowly to her friend's side. "I couldn't eat another bite and you've already eaten more than me. Why not make up a plate and take it home? Borin already suggested that everyone do that."

Kik

"But Quinta! The victory doesn't taste as sweet when we aren't in front of them to flaunt it"

Quinta rolled her eyes. "I get it, Abby, but I think that we already made it sufficiently clear to them."

Abby shook her head. "Relax, Q, I handle sugar and caffeine just fine!"

"But you usually eat it in candies - small candies! Not ... what is now? Three cookies, a piece of pie, two slices of cake..."

"All very small!"

"... A brownie, plus marshmallow fruit salad? Seriously, Abs, LISTEN!"

"OOOOH, LOOK!" Abby squealed. "Cupcakes with edible glitter! Quinta, we HAVE to try these! I might be sick, but it will be work it!"

"No!" Quinta insisted, taking Abby's plate and setting it to the side. "Did you hear yourself? You are NOT going to make yourself sick eating cupcakes! Maybe ... maybe you've had too much caffeine to be thinking straight right now."

"Oooh, great idea! I need a refill - my Caf-Pow! ran out twenty minutes ago. Where is that Caf-Pow! apple cider? You did bring it, didn't you?"

"Nooo," Quinta hedged.

"Oh, yes, you did! Wait - are you lying to me?!"

"Not really!" Quinta defended herself. "Just, you are not getting any until you digest what you've already eaten. Have some water in the meantime - or peppermint tea. You'll need it."

Abby rolled her eyes and took her plate once again.

Quinta shook her head. "Abby..."

"Oh, can it, Quinta - get it? CANS! Like canned vegetables! And don't worry - I have caffeine pills for such emergencies as today."

Quinta rolled her eyes, feeling rather unamused. "Abby, you're caffeine and sugar drunk. If you don't listen, I'll ..."

"Mmmhm! These are so good!" Abby murmured as she took another cupcake. "Hey, Timmy, pour me a huge cup of that delicious fruit punch!"

Quinta rolled her eyes as her friend walked away. Most of the time she loved this side of Abby - the fun and sassy, super-confident scientist was awesome! But really! There were some limits that should not be crossed - such as taking care of oneself - and at a certain point there needed to be an intervention.

Abby was going to make herself sick on sugar and she was not listening to a single one of Quinta's warnings. But there was one person that she would listen to – but that person was rather intimidating.

Quinta took a deep breath and walked over to Gibbs. He looked up from talking to Borin and saw the trepidation on her face.

"Excuse me a minute," he told the agent before stepping to the side.

"What's the matter, Q?" he asked seriously.

"Uh, this is a bad idea," Quinta mumbled, turning to flee. She was stopped by the hand on her shoulder.

"Q!" The word had a warning tone, but the touch on her chin was gentle. Quinta suddenly found herself sympathizing with Abby's complaints that is was impossible to get away from Gibbs when he demanded an answer.

"It's Abby," she muttered, defeated. "She's eating glittery cupcakes."

"Is that safe?" Gibbs asked, his eyebrows raised as he looked around the room for the scientist.

"Oh, it's safe - at least the glitter part because we aren't putting it near you, Agent Gibbs, and it is fine to eat! It's just ... well, you know when she gets too much sugar and caffeine ..."

"She's had too much?"

"She's drunk on it, Agent Gibbs," Quinta admitted, feeling horribly for ratting out her friend. But Gibbs' squeeze on her shoulder helped her feel a tiny bit better.

"Thanks, Q," he said. "I'll take care of her."

Quinta watched him cross the room toward Abby, a knot growing in her stomach.

She is going to hate me for telling on her!

...

"Abigail!"

Abby froze at the stern tone. That was Gibbs' "what do you think you are doing?" tone.

"Gibbs, I promise, I didn't bring the edible glitter - but isn't it great?! It is so tasty and just the tiniest bit crunchy and sweet and I am so glad that we beat those Coast Guard people - NCIS forever reign! - and Halloween is my favourite time of the year except maybe Christmas or my birthday or Quinta's birthday or yours or ..."

Gibbs tilted her chin toward her and looked at her dilated eyes.

"Yep, you've had too much sugar," he sighed. "Hand over the cupcake, Abby."

"No!" Abby whimpered. "I want to eat it and all of the rest of them and then I will find where Quinta held the Caf-Pow! cider captive and I will go find it

He took her hand and pulled her to the side of the room.

"Giiiiiiibbbbss!"

"Abby, baby, come on. You need to calm yourself down before you make yourself ..."

"Oh, I don't feel well!" Abby gasped. Gibbs rolled his eyes, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her out of the room.

...

Across the room, Quinta had watched the interaction with big, round eyes.

Oh, I hope she's not in trouble - because if so, I will be in big trouble too - not from Gibbs - from Abby!

...

In the next room, Abby finally was able to breath again without coughing or retching into a nearby garbage can. Gibbs shifted her in his arms to push her curls out of her face.

"You feeling better now?" he asked.

She nodded, wincing a little at the motion.

"Just stay still," he soothed, taking a tissue from a box on a desk and wiping the corners of her mouth.

"Quinta was SO right!" Abby lamented. "She knew this was going to happen!" She began to cry and then grabbed her head, "Oh, my head hurts!"

Gibbs held back the scolding he could have so easily given and kissed her forehead instead.

"That's just the sugar and caffeine, Abs. We'll ask Ducky to find something to settle your stomach and make you feel a little better."

Abby just groaned.

Gibbs once again scooped her up and carried her into one of the private conference rooms where there was a sofa. He settled her and turned to the door to retrieve Ducky.

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah?" He turned, expecting Abby to need something. He was rather surprised to see her triumphant smile.

"At least we won!"

Gibbs shook his head in disbelief.

"You always do celebrate in some unusual ways," he stated before adopting a sterner, scolding tone as he continued, "but no candy for you tonight."

"But Gibbs! It's Halloween!"

"Yep. You chose to play your tricks - you're not getting a treat!"


	6. Epilogue

**Hi Friends!**

**Hope you enjoy Abby and Quinta's thoughts on the potluck! There may be one more little entry after this! : )**

Epilogue

Hey, Quinta,

Just in case you are wondering, I'm finally feeling better. : p

Why haven't you called? You ALWAYS call after our adventures! Are you afraid that I'm going to start vomiting again? I promise that I won't! Gibbs made me go home with him and he kept me on a steady diet of bread and water (well, more like soda crackers and peppermint tea, but you get the idea) ALL night!!! On Halloween - my favourite night of the year - I was grounded! All thanks to you for telling on me!!!

Ha ha! Just joking! Well, mostly. It wasn't your fault. I was the one who went crazy. :( Just to note, I do regret that - a little! Honestly, I was upset when I discovered that it was you who had told him and that was why he had come over to me to make me stop, right before ... let's just skip that part! But now that my brain is clearer with a night of sleep and a "flushed system" (according to Ducky), I do want to say thanks for caring. It was the right thing to do and even though I was not happy going to bed at 8:30 last night, I understand why. Just NEVER tell on me to Gibbs again!

And having said that, I will let you in on a secret - I did sneak some chocolate peanut butter cups last night. YUMMY! I'm pretty sure they were part of the cure. ; )

Even though you have seen me at one of my worst sugar moments (probably worse than seeing me get spanked, would you agree?), do you still want to get together and plan some Thanksgiving fun?

Lots of repentant and thankful hugs (with maybe a smack to your shoulder for not siding with me? Ha ha!!!),

Abby

Hey Abs!

I am so glad you are feeling better! I was super worried there for a second.

I haven't been in touch because I got sick myself after the party. Turns out the paint I used for the inside of my "can" costume made my skin break out in hives! Let me tell you, that was no fun at all. I spent Halloween night in an oatmeal bath and went to bed super early. Oh well, it was all for a good cause, right? : p

I'm relived you aren't mad at me. (The other reason I've been laying low.) I just *knew* you were gonna get sick and I didn't want that happening to you in front of everyone. I'm glad, as I am sure you are, that Gibbs got you out of there before you started puking. As far as seeing the sugar high vs. seeing you get spanked, I'd have to agree that I'd take the sugar high Abby any day. Besides, even though I don't have a ton of experience on this one, I'd say if you're getting spanked and I'm there, I'm probably next! Lol

I'm definitely up for Thanksgiving plans. Let's just leave out the allergy-producing paint and the sugar high. Speaking of high... I think it is high time we pull out the glitter (or some other form of spectacular sparkle) for the next holiday.

Are you in? I know you're in! See you soon.

Love,

Q


	7. Epilogue Pt 2

**One more bit from Gibbs, because you KNOW he would have something to say when it was all over. ; )**

Epilogue Pt. 2

(Note on a Caf-Pow! left on Quinta's desk)

Quinta,

I was glad that you managed to stay out of trouble over Halloween. I know that it would have been hard for you to "side" with me instead of Abby, but I appreciate it. If you hadn't, she would have been vomiting in front of half of NCIS and CGCIS. You had her six, even when she fought it. Whatever she may tell you, you did a good thing.

Proud of you, kid.

Gibbs

(Note on a cup of peppermint tea placed in front of a scowling Abby)

Abs,

You need to listen to those who care about you when they say you've had enough sugar. Your friends aren't trying to ruin your fun and you know it. Be nice to Q girl. She has my full support. That statement ONLY counts for this time though.

Love you, kid. Feel better soon.

Gibbs


End file.
